If Florida Senate Bill 1024 passes, interest in going solar will drop dramatically
Florida produces the third most electricity from solar panels in the country, but the state’s legislature is backing a bill (Senate Bill 1024 and House Bill 741) written by Florida Power and Light (FPL), the state’s largest power company, to gut the state’s net metering policy while imposing punitive fees on solar customers — the same one-two punch utilities are working to get approved in California.
Also similar to California, homeowners say this will likely end their interest in going solar.
SolarReviews, the leading American consumer review and rating website for solar panel installation, released survey results of more than 250 people located in Florida who are interested in solar. The results?
- 74% of respondents would no longer consider going solar in Florida if the proposal is passed that will pay net metering customers at the avoided cost rate versus the retail rate.
- 93% of respondents would no longer consider solar if Florida changed to an avoided cost rate plan AND implemented a monthly grid participation charge.
“There is tremendous opportunity for solar in the Sunshine State, and while SolarReviews agrees with modernizing Net Metering practices, these extreme changes can hinder the solar market in Florida before it has a chance to mature,” said Andy Sendy, President and Founder of SolarReviews.com. “75% of the respondents to our survey said that their primary interest in going solar is due to reduced electricity bills, and 93% said they will not consider solar if the proposals in this bill pass – a clear sign that this bill is a bad deal for the solar industry in Florida.”
The full results of the survey can be viewed here.
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